Support for Kyra Kverno

Kyra Kverno. Friend, music photographer, soon to be business owner, and one of the most dearly loved faces of NYC's recently closed 55 Bar. My name is Jane Irving. I am an Australian singer and teacher who has been living in NYC for the last ten years. I met Kyra at 55 Bar when I first moved here and had my first gig at the venue. She is a deeply caring, genuine person who at 55 Bar, looked after, welcomed, accepted and celebrated an entire community of people. In addition, as many of you know, Kyra is a very talented photographer who works at the biggest music festivals worldwide and takes pictures of some of the most famous musicians in the business.

What follows are some details of unbelievable setbacks for Kyra. She was apprehensive that this page be set up to generate financial assistance, but upon advice from friends, she has decided that it may be a good idea, I was happy to help.

The loss of her decade-long bartending job at the 55 Bar last week was hard enough. Twenty-Four hours later, to find out she had to vacate her home/studio because the landlord was selling the building was the last piece of security taken away from her.

Upon moving into the building 18 months ago, Kyra invested $6000 to get things livable and workable. For her efforts, the landlord agreed to keep her rent low, and she would have a home and workspace for years to come. The apartment needed a heavy-duty cleaning, paint, a deck and roof work, a water heater, boiler repairs, some plumbing and electrical work and a new fridge, all of which she paid for out of her own pocket. Kyra had also built a studio in her apartment, where she was all set to open a new photography business.

Previously in February of 2020, Kyra had a workplace accident and broke her ankle. Then the pandemic hit. 55 Bar closed. A project with a gallery was lost in addition to a substantial amount of photography work. In May of 2020, Kyra's mother was diagnosed with cancer, and she had to travel between NYC and California to care for her. Beginning by getting a hotel for two weeks to quarantine so she would not put her mother in harm's way. Then her father developed Covid and is still in very feeble health. Sadly in January 2021, Kyra's Mum passed. In May of 2021, 55 Bar reopened, and she returned to help fight in an effort to keep it going. Sadly due to covid restrictions and diminished income at the bar she was not able to recover the loss of income to build her savings back up.

As if all this isn't enough, Kyra is now faced with an impending loss of workspace/home and indefinite postponement of gallery exhibitions and getting her photography business going, her sole source of income. In addition, a looming $4000 dental surgery was scheduled for next week may now also be impossible.

Your donations will go directly into Kyra's bank account and help with the first, last months and deposit of a new home/studio, as well as moving costs and some financial support as she sets up her new photography business.

Please give what you can.

Thank you.